White Sox whip Twins 12-5

Chris Sale produced his usual strong pitching performance to help the Chicago White Sox win their fifth straight series against the Minnesota Twins.

There were bonuses for the White Sox on this steamy afternoon, too. Sale didn’t have to work very hard, never facing more than four batters in any inning, and the lagging lineup snapped to life with a season-high 21 hits.

DAVE CAMPBELL

Chris Sale produced his usual strong pitching performance to help the Chicago White Sox win their fifth straight series against the Minnesota Twins.

There were bonuses for the White Sox on this steamy afternoon, too. Sale didn’t have to work very hard, never facing more than four batters in any inning, and the lagging lineup snapped to life with a season-high 21 hits.

“Any time you go out there and get that kind of run support it kind of calms you down a little bit,” said Sale, the American League’s earned run average leader.

The White Sox matched their season high with a 2½ game lead in the AL Central, ahead of Cleveland.

Sale (9-2) struck out five and walked one with six hits and two runs allowed. The Twins talked before the game about trying to disrupt his rhythm and make him sweat on a day when the temperature moved toward the 90s, but they were unsuccessful.

“It’s hard to keep saying the same things over and over again, but he’s just a mature kid,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

Dunn had three hits and four RBIs, including his 24th home run of the season, and recently-acquired Kevin Youkilis went 3 for 4 and drove in two runs. Alex Rios also had three hits and a homer.

“He’s going to help us in so many ways,” Rios said of Youkilis, who fouled off three pitches before his single right before Dunn went deep.

The third, fourth and fifth hitters were 10 for 15 with eight RBIs, mostly against Twins starter Nick Blackburn (4-5). The right-hander watched his ERA balloon to 7.74 after five rough innings for the Twins, giving up nine hits and six runs.

“We haven’t been swinging the bats well the last couple weeks so hopefully today it gets everybody’s confidence back up and we start rolling again,” Dunn said.

Ventura gave regulars Paul Konerko, Gordon Beckham and Dayan Viciedo a rest, but an offense that managed only 13 runs over the previous five games finally had a breakout game. Dunn ended a 0-for-24 skid with his homer, and the White Sox posted a double-digit score for the first time in 16 games. Sale pitched that one, too, June 9 against Houston.

“He goes straight to what he has to do, and does it with power. He’s unbelievable,” Rios said.

Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, now 7 for 73 against left-handers this season with 22 strikeouts, talked his way into the lineup by telling manager Ron Gardenhire before the game he wanted “a piece of this kid,” but a seventh-inning single was the only dent he put on yet another stellar performance by the lanky left-hander Sale with the whipsaw, sidearm delivery.

“He’s got some funk to it, and his breaking ball, for it to be a strike it pretty much has to start behind you,” Morneau said. “I think he’s got a pretty good feel for that also. When he needs to get a strike with it, he can. When he’s ahead in the count and he feels like he needs you to chase, he’s also good at that one.”

Brian Dozier homered and Ben Revere tacked on a sacrifice fly, but that was the only damage done against the 23-year-old 2010 first-round draft pick. In seven starts on the road this season, Sale is 5-0 with a 2.91 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 46 1-3 innings. Those sure look like All-Star statistics. The teams are revealed Sunday.

“It’s something that you think about, but you try not to pay attention to it. My focus is on this team and what I’m doing here. I’m just trying to keep the same approach I’ve had all year,” Sale said.

NOTES: Damon Mastroianni hit his first career home run, a two-run shot against Will Ohman in the eighth, for the Twins. Ohman was designated for assignment after the game. He hit two batters in the ninth and gave up another run. ... The Twins have lost eight of their last 10 games against the White Sox at home. ... The White Sox start a four-game series in New York on Thursday, with RHP Dylan Axelrod (0-1, 5.54 ERA) making his third start this season against Yankees RHP Ivan Nova (9-2, 4.25). ... The Twins are off on Thursday before four games in three days here against Kansas City. LHP Brian Duensing (1-3, 3.82) pitches on Friday, with RHP Luis Mendoza (2-4, 4.95) taking the mound for the Royals.